Detection of Quantitative Trait Loci for Growth and Carcass Traits on BTA6 in a Hanwoo Population

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) for growth and carcass quality traits on BTA6 in a population of Hanwoo cattle. Three hundred and sixty one steers were produced from 39 sires that were sired by 17 grandsires in the two Hanwoo farming branches of the National Livestock Research Institute of Korea, between Spring 2000 and Fall 2002. DNA samples were collected for all of the steers, sires and grandsires, and the phenotypes for six growth and carcass quality traits were measured at 24 months of age. Twelve microsatellite markers were chosen on BTA6 and a linkage map was constructed by using seven of the twelve markers. Then, a chromosome-wide QTL scan was performed by applying an Animal Model, in which effects of QTL alleles within the grand sires were fitted as a random term. Three QTL were detected at the 5% chromosome-wise level for backfat thickness, average daily gain, and final weight. The most likely positions for the QTL were in the proximal region, i.e. 0 cM, 35 cM, and 63 cM, respectively. Also, another QTL for longissimus dorsi muscle area was detected at the 10% chromosome-wise level at 67 cM. These results were, in general, consistent with our previous report, in which candidate gene analyses showed that a SNP near ILSTS035 flanked by BM4621 (62.5 cM) and BMS2460 (81.3 cM) was associated with final weight, carcass weight, average daily gain, and longissimus dorsi muscle area in the same Hanwoo population.